A Cold Wind Blows
by MortiferSB
Summary: All it takes to push a good person to become a monster is one bad day. And Yamauchi Miyu was not a very good person to begin with.


Her name was Yamauchi Miyu, and she was going to be a hero.

Not by choice, though. Sure, while it would be fun, she could just as easily enjoy herself as a villain. Perhaps easier, in fact. She would be able to cut loose more often that way.

But...

"Big sis! You look great!"

...That would disappoint her.

Yamauchi Saki. Miyu's younger sister, and reason for living.

Miyu smiled. "Well, of course I do. You picked the outfit."

Saki smiled as well, and Miyu couldn't be happier.

"Oh!" Exclaimed Saki. "You haven't put your mask on yet! Here, let me."

Saki picked the mask up from the table, and put it on Miyu's face.

Miyu paused for a moment, and looked into the mirror.

A black, skin tight bodysuit clung to her, with a small utility belt. Her Katana rested in it's sheath, just in case it was needed.

Her mask, a blank, black mask, rested on her face, slightly tilted.

Miyu smiled, straightened the mask, and tied a string behind her head, to make sure it did not fall off.

Saki was beaming when Miyu looked at her again.

"Well, I should go." Said Miyu. "I'll be back in the morning, Saki. Don't stay up too late."

Miyu hugged her sister, then turned to leave.

"Bye, Big sis!" Called Saki, as Miyu left. The soon-to-be Hero spun around and waved to the girl, before continuing her walk.

As the distance between them grew, Miyu dropped her false cheerfulness, and began patrolling the streets.

* * *

It had been an hour since she had started her patrol, and already, Miyu had found a situation.

A group of five men were brandishing knives, circling around a young couple.

Child's play.

Holding her Katana, but leaving it in her sheath, Miyu struck.

The first man was on his knee's before the others had time to react. Miyu slammed the hilt of her blade into his chin, sending him sprawling, as the others reacted.

The first one to reach her did so by lunging at her, attempting to stab her. Swift as the wind, Miyu sidestepped, grabbed his arm, and threw him.

She turned just in time to block the second man's slash. She then slammed the sheathed sword into his face, knocking him out.

The penultimate thug took a step back, shocked at how easily she had taken down his fellow criminal.

She flashed forward, hitting the man in the knees, stomach and chin. As she skidded to a halt behind him, he collapsed.

She turned to her final opponent.

The fool raised his knife, and waited for her.

Fine, then. His funeral.

Miyu charged, striking the men in the arm. He jerked back, but countered with his knife. The girl blocked, then kicked the man between the legs.

Her next few blows were a flurry of motion. Once in the stomach, once in the chin, twice in the right arm, once in the thigh-

Miyu grabbed the man by the back of his neck, threw him to the ground, and unsheathed her sword.

Just one swing. Just one swi-

An image popped into her head. Of Saki, smiling.

Miyu's blade stopped, just next to the man's neck.

Saki wanted her to be a hero. She'd be disappointed if she indulged herseld and killed this man, even if he deserved it.

Quietly, Miyu sheathed her blade again.

No. Saki would want her to do the right thing.

Reaching into her belt, Miyu pulled out a disposable phone, and dialed the police.

* * *

"We need to talk."

Miyu spun around. Behind her was another hero, a man in a red replica of samurai armour.

It had been a week since Miyu's first patrol. Much to her displeasure, she had only stumbled across one other crime in progress, and that fight hadn't been nearly exciting enough to justify the time away from Saki.

"What do you want?" Demanded Miyu.

"To talk." Replied the man in red. "I just said that, didn't I?"

Miyu glared at him. "Why?"

"Because you've made a name for yourself." He replied. "Most Parahumans here are Thinkers, or don't have combatative powers, so we usually can't do much to stop criminals other then trying to find them before they strike. Didn't you see the news recently?"

"I've seen it." Miyu said. "What about it?"

"People are wondering who you are." Replied the male hero. "They want to know what name you've taken. Or would you prefer to be called 'Woman in Black' by everyone?"

Miyu thought about that.

She didn't really see the point in in, really, but she really didn't want to waste her time talking to this man. She'd just ask Saki later.

"I don't have one." She said. "I'll come up with one later."

The man seemed suprised by this. Before he could continue, though, his phone rang.

"Um... Hold on a second..." He said, quickly texting someone.

When he was finished, he turned to Miyu. "Sorry, there's a... Thing... Happening. I need to go now. Can we meet here tommorrow?"

"Whatever." Replied Miyu, walking off.

It's just past midnight. Time to go back to Saki.

* * *

"You met the Red Ronin?" Exclaimed Saki.

Miyu shrugged. "Yeah. What flavour Ice Cream did you want?"

"Mint." Replied Saki, before continuing the earlier discussion. "And... You're going to meet him again later?"

"Let's talk about this when we're not near people who don't know." Whispered Miyu. Saki nodded.

It only took a few minutes for the sisters to get some Ice Cream, and find a park bench to sit on, away from anyone else.

"So you need a name now?" Asked Saki. "Why didn't you think of one earlier!"

"It didn't seem very important." Replied Miyu.

"But- It's very important!" Exclaimed Saki. "You're a hero, you need a name for you heroing!"

Miyu smiled. "Well, why don't you help me think of one."

Saki took another bite of her Ice Cream while thinking. "Why don't you have something from another language? You know, to sound cooler!"

No matter how hard Miyu thought, she couldn't figure out the logic behind that. But if it made Saki happy...

"Sure, why not." Answered Miyu. "So... What should I call myself? Blade? Máchi̱ Parthenikí̱ ?"

"Why not something to do with your costume?"

"What, like Black Blade?"

Saki thought on that for a moment. "How about you use Japanese and English? Like... Black Kaze?"

Miyu smiled. "That sounds nice."

The two finished their Ice Cream, shortly afterwards, and got up to go home.

"Hey, Big sis? Asked Saki. "Do you think... When you go see the Red Ronin again... Could you get me his autograph?"

"Sure." Miyu said. "I'll see what I can do."

* * *

Bodies lay strewn all over the street. Tidal waves rocked the battlefield, as rain soaked the fighters. The greatest heroes in Japan felt powerless, as their strongest fell to the Endbringer.

Miyu had never felt more alive.

The battle was glorious. An opponent more powerful then her, doing it's best to kill her- Well, everyone- While she did the same for it.

This wouldn't be a fight easily won, if victory was even possible. But if anything, that made the struggle more intense.

On top of all that, for the first time since becoming a hero, Miyu was able to cut loose and indulge herself, without having to worry about what Saki would think.

The hero smiled behind her mask. It was all so perfect.

The Sentai Elite took point, leading a charge against the beast. Miyu followed just behind them, Katana by her side. Other Parahumans surrounded her, but she paid them no heed.

The small army were barely in contact with Leviathan for a few seconds, before they fell back. Black Kaze charged at it, dragging her blade across the beasts leg.

The Endbringer was barely even scratched. It did, however, move it's tail, sending a shower of it's after-image at her.

Miyu fell back, dodging the after-image. Leviathan paid her no heed, and charged down a street, leaving a hill of dead and dying behing her.

Soaking wet, and uterly useless, Miyu moved to charge after him. A hand fell on her shoulder, stopping her.

"Hold on." Said a familiar voice. Miyu turned, and faced the Red Ronin.

"You didn't even hurt him." He said. "Don't just charge back in there."

"I'm not hurt." Replied Miyu. "And I'm not going to stop fighting 'cause one failed attack."

The Red Ronin sighed. "Don't be brave, Kaze. H-"

Miyu turned before he finished, and ran for the Endbringer. The Red Ronin called after her, but she ignored him.

The rain made things harder to see, but Miyu didn't stop running until she got to the Endbringer.

There weren't many Parahumans fighting him now. The Sentai Elite were trying to organise everyone again, get them to dogpile him, and had left only their most durable member behind to distract it. A few long distance attacks wer trying to manouver around him, running across rooftops as they attacked. An airborne Parahuman dropped in to get an injured girl out of the battle.

Miyu went for the Endbringer, striking him multiple times with each passing.

Ten, twenty, thirty blows in five seconds, cutting deep. The deeper she cut, the harder it got, but she kept hitting the monster, avoiding his kicks and after-image between chains of attacks.

It had been, at most, ten seconds after she had re-engaged Leviathan before it hit the Sentai hero, pulping him against a distant wall, and turned it's attention to her.

She almost laughed as it charged at her. She dodged to the side, but Leviathan was faster then her. While it's claws failed to connect, it's after-image was more then enough to knock her down.

Miyu rolled to the side as Leviathan stabbed down. But it was not the roll that saved her.

In a flash of red, someone grabbed her, and pulled her out of Leviathan's reach.

Then, with a cry, the other Parahumans came out from the rain, charging at Leviathan.

Panting, Miyu turned to face her saviour.

The Red Ronin glared at her. "See? You almost died!"

"I wouldn't be the first." Replied Miyu. "Or the last."

The Red Ronin shook his head. "Arguing with you is like slamming my head against a brick wall. But please, don't risk yourself like that again. I can only use that aspect of my power five times a day. Don't let the one I spent to save you go to waste, if nothing else."

Miyu opened her mouth to retort, but was interrupted by large impact sound. Turning to face the battle, Miyu saw an airborne Parahuman collide with the Endbringer, pushing it into building.

"Looks like the Americans are here." Noted the Red Ronin, turning from the battle to face Black Kaze.

Miyu shrugged, then leapt back into the battle.

* * *

Miyu wasn't worried.

Saki had evacuated before Leviathan had arrived, boarded a plane to a shelter some distance away. So, even though Leviathan destroyed all the shelters and killed everyone within them, she would be alright.

It didn't matter that the people she wasn't answering her phone. It just meant that she had run off somewhere and lost it. She ws alright.

She had to be.

Even if Leviathan had caused more damage then expected, and gone further then people thought he would, Saki would be alright. Whoever had been in charge of the shelter would have noticed the water getting closer, and organised for everyone in it to get out and get her further away.

So Saki had to be okay.

All it meant was that she had misplaced her phone, and Miyu would have to buy her a new one.

First, though, she had to find her.

A plane had come to get the survivors of Leviathan's attack, and Miyu had asked them to take her where the evacuee's of the area would have gone.

After she had arrived, Miyu had gotten out of her costume and gone looking for Saki.

The shelter was around here somewhere. People were already leaving. Saki would have stayed behind, like Miyu told her to.

After quickly getting instructions from a panicked man, Miyu found the shelter. As soon as she arrived, she walked up to to someone who lwas answering questions.

"I'm looking for-" Miyu started, before the man held his hand out to her, gesturing for her to be quiet. Miyu stopped, glaring, as the man continued talking to someone.

"I'm sorry, sir." He said to some other guy. "We don't know when we're going to get more food. We have to ration it."

"Bu-"

"Look, I'd love to help you, but there's hundreds of people here. If I give you more for your family, that means someone else has to go without."

The other man glared, and left. The first man turned to look at Miyu. "What do you want?"

"I'm looking for my sister." Said Miyu, annoyance showing in her speech. "Yamauchi Saki. Where is she?"

"I don't think I met anyone who answered to that name, but I've been busy. Here." He wrote something down. "Go to the staff offices and show this to my boss. He might help you out.

Miyu nodded at him, but he waved her off and began talking to a woman who was seeking some sort of medicine.

The boss- Hibiki, or something like that- Was annoyed at her presence, but decided that the easiest way to make her go away was to check through the roster of evacuee's

"I'm sorry, miss." He said. "There's no-one here by the name Yamauchi Saki."

Miyu blinked in suprise. "Then where is she?" She demanded.

"I don't know." Replied the man. "I searched the list of people who boarded the flight. She's not on it."

"Then... She's at another shelter?"

"No. I have a copy of the roster for all the shelters, but I couldn't find her. I'm sorry, but it doesn't look like she made it out. I'm sorry for your loss. Now please, go."

* * *

Food and water had become scarce over the following week. There wasn't any electricity anymore. Most of Japan was imploding, due to lack of funds to repair the damage and care for the survivors.

Riots had started recently, as people became desperate to get resources. Parahumans had been called in to help keep the peace. Villains were popping up more and more frequently, as the race for reources pushed people to their lowest.

Miyu was mostly unaware of this. She hadn't even left the room she had been provided.

Saki was dead.

There was no getting around it. For a few days, Miyu had clung to the hope that there had been a mistake. But as everything started falling apart, even that hope had faded.

She was gone. Gone.

Miyu was so busy mourning that she didn't notice the riots, until someone burst into her room with a gun.

"Don't move." Warned the man. "We're taking the food here. Don't resist, you get to live."

Miyu looked up at the man, for a second.

Then she drew her blade.

"I'm warning you!" Said the man. "Put that away, or I'll sho-"

A flash forward, and the man was suddenly missing his upper torso.

As his blade covered her, Miyu reflected on how... Good... It felt.

THe man's death, and the chance of her death, however slim, and excited her. For a moment...

...She had even forgotten about Saki.

Miyu smiled.

There were more men on the street, by the building she had been living in. Most of the other residents had been forced outside, like she had.

It wasn't even a fight. She just killed every man, woman and child, letting their blood paint the streets.

Parahumans started popping up to stop her. One man, a flying brick, made the mistake of getting close enough for her to stab him in the eye, multiple times. Another, a woman who could turn invisible, had her location revealed when some blood splashed on her.

A flash of red announced the presence of a familiar face.

Black Kaze didn't give the Red Ronin time to use any of his powers. As soon as his burst of speed had worn off, she flashed behind him, removing his arms. He didn't even have time to cry out before she ran forward and stabbed him.

He coughed blood. "I know you." He whispered, recognising her power. "I should have left you to die against Leviathan."

Miyu didn't react, other then to pull her blade out of him.

The bloodbath... It had been enough.

Remembering Saki was too painful. All she had to do was lose herself in the bloodlust.

Miyu looked around, then sheathed her sword.

No one here left alive. But that was okay.

She'd find more soon enough.


End file.
